The Kiss
by letthefirefly
Summary: She makes me forget that we're in the middle of an apocalypse. -Ellie/Riley The events of TLOU: Left Behind


_the kiss_

_/_

"You still lug that Walkman around?" Riley asks, and I have to laugh. She asks me every time she gets the chance. She loves to tease me about my taste in music.

"Always," I tease, struggling to fit the two large squirt guns into my tiny backpack.

"Let me see it," she says, holding out her hand. I shrug and dig further in my bag.

I pull out the Walkman. "Here."

"What's in it?"

I grin sheepishly. "That tape you gave me."

Riley laughs. "You really will be miserable without me!" She playfully taps me on the shoulder as she moves past me.

"Shut up," I reply, pretending to be annoyed. I look around for her and see that she has moved away. She gestures to my bag.

"Leave that. Follow me."

"Where are we going?" I ask, and she laughs.

"You'll see!" She grins at me mischievously, and for the first time, I feel that Riley is _flirting _with me. I dismiss the notion and walk toward the place Riley indicated.

When I arrive, Riley is messing with a speaker that is playing music. She unplugs one wire and plugs a wire from my Walkman into the speaker. The speaker starts to blare music from my Walkman, and for a moment, I feel wary that the Infected might hear the music and come running. But Riley is relaxed and casual, so I try to be too.

"All right!" Riley cheers when she gets the music to play, and she clambers up onto a lit countertop and begins to dance to the music.

_People say that we don't know_

_What love is or how to make it grow_

"Come on, Ellie, get your ass up here!" she says, laughing, and I have to roll my eyes at how ridiculous she looks dancing up there.

_Well, I don't know if all that's true'_

'_Cause you got me and baby, I got you_

"So stupid," I mutter, pretending to be annoyed, but I climb up on the table with her. I don't really know how to dance, so I just kind of jump around and move my arms. Riley, however, _can _dance, and well, too. I have no idea where she learned how. I guess it's just something you're born with, or you're not.

_I guess that's sure, we don't have a lot_

_But at least I'm sure of all the things we've got_

She takes my hands. Her hands are warm and we twirl around until we get dizzy and I almost fall off the counter. Before I fall, however, she grabs me and pulls me close, laughing. My head is still in a tizzy and all I know is her scent. She doesn't smell dirty; she smells like the city and earth and the wilderness. I stop dancing and just stand there, taking it all in. Riley tries to grab my hands and twirl me again, but I take a step back.

Immediately, she looks concerned. "Hey," she says gently, "what's wrong?" She steps closer to me and I can smell her scent again. I realize with a start that if she joins the Fireflies, we won't get to do this anymore. No more sneaking out. No more photo booths or carousels. No more puns or dancing on tables to Etta James. No more Riley.

"Don't go," I plead in an almost whisper, but my voice cracks at the end. I look at Riley, whose eyes have gone wide.

_I got flowers in the spring, yeah_

_I've got you, I've got you to wear my ring_

Riley's hand goes to the Firefly pendant on her neck. She studies me for a moment before looking down at it. Her fingers run along the chain as she meets my gaze again. Suddenly, her lips purse together as she yanks the pendant from her neck and balls it in her fist.

She doesn't glance at the necklace. She looks straight at me as she takes the mark she has worked so hard for and casts it to the ground. I am astonished.

Riley gave up her position in the Fireflies. For me. I am so overwhelmed with emotions and gratitude that there is only one thing that I feel like doing.

I take two steps forward and press my lips to hers. She stands motionless for a fraction of a second, astonished, but kisses me in return. Her lips are warm, just like her hands had been when we twirled. My first kiss.

I break off the kiss and move back slightly. Riley looks at me, surprise in her deep brown eyes. I feel a little afraid. What if she doesn't feel the same way?

I know I can't laugh this one off, but I try to anyway. I smile sheepishly. "Sorry," I say.

Riley chuckles and her eyebrows raise. "For what?"

I look away from her for a moment, but when I look back, she is still looking at me with a glow in her dark eyes.

"What do we do now?" I murmur.

Riley smiles. "We'll figure it out." And she comes forward and hugs me.

I forget, for just a moment, that we're in the middle of an apocalypse, and I hug her back, and for the first time, I feel hopeful that this might all work out.


End file.
